Pump It Up
by dayofwriting
Summary: Artemis is feeling hella good after a workout. Conner is not sharing her enjoyment.


Artemis jogged into the cave, expecting to feel a little more worn out after her run. After all, it had been a long day at school and her long run around the mountain was just that much more rigorous than her usual routine. Instead of tired, though, she felt pumped. There was adrenaline in her blood, fire in her veins. She couldn't stop moving.

Jogging around the cave a little, she finally realized a shower was in order- and a change of clothes. Sweat was good, Artemis knew it meant she was working hard, but that didn't mean she was going to stew in her own grossness all day. Once in the safety of her room, she pulled her earbuds out and placed them on the table by her bed, simultaneously kicking her shoes off and not caring where they landed in her room.

Pulling off her slightly damp tank top was a relief in the cool of the room. Artemis stretched her arms above her head and shifted her back this way and that, looking around the room. There was a radio on the dresser, but she didn't think there would be any reception deep inside a mountain. A clear CD case was laying on top of it, with a homemade CD labeled in permanent marker on the inside. Artemis picked it up and read the girly writing on it- _Jams for Arty 3_ -and on the bottom was the addendum _(I hope this isn't too cheesy! -Zee)_. Rolling her eyes, Artemis put the CD in its place and turned the radio on.

Thinking the shower could wait, Artemis decided to use the music as a little extra workout motivation, doing push-ups and sit-ups and humming along between breaths and counts. After another set of reps Artemis decided that her shower was long overdue. She peeled off her sports bra and shorts and turned the dial on the radio so that the music was loud enough to hear from the shower.

The cool water was a relief on her hot skin. Still moving to the music, she got a little too enthusiastic about shampoo and ended up putting too much in her hair, and it stung at her eyes and snuck into her mouth. Spluttering and coughing, she rinsed all the suds out of her hair as quickly as she could and stepped out of the shower.

As she toweled off, Artemis neglected to turn the volume back down on the radio. Shaking her hips to the beat, she pulled on some clean underwear and a tank top, and then wrapped the towel around her hair. Instead of trying a little harder to find some pants she gave in to the chorus, grabbing her paddle brush off the dresser and using it as a microphone (and occasionally as an air guitar handle).

As the song built up and the electric guitars gained intensity, so did Artemis' passion. Against her better judgment, she nudged the dial on the radio upward again.

"_And I walk these streets! A loaded six-string on my back- I play for keeps! 'Cause I might not make it back!_" At this point she was practically yelling, and it would have been wise for her to remember that she wasn't home alone in her mom's apartment. But the walls were thick and she was _pretty_ sure that no one would notice.

She should have known better.

A prickling on the back of her neck prompted her to turn around- she hadn't even heard the door open. Conner stood in the entrance to her room, but she couldn't read the expression on his face. He didn't _look_ mad. But with Superboy it was hard to tell.

After a moment of shock came a moment of realization and embarrassment, and she fumbled behind her to pause the radio. As she turned to face her teammate again she tried very, _very_ hard not to remember that she wasn't wearing any pants.

Finally Conner opened his mouth, choosing his words carefully.

"Just because the walls are soundproof," he said, "doesn't mean I can't hear you."

Artemis' face reddened immediately, but as Conner turned to leave (assumably to give her enough privacy to put on some pants) she could have sworn she saw a small smile on his face.

And a few days later when she walked by him sitting on the couch, she could have sworn he was humming along to Bon Jovi.


End file.
